Pokemon Mysteries: The case of the cracked safe
by McWizardX
Summary: Mystery Solving Fic - Can you solve this mystery? Ash stumbled on a mystery where a present he planned on giving to Misty was stolen. Now he wants to get to the bottom of this mystery.
1. Default Chapter

Pokemon Mysteries:

The case of the cracked safe

PKMN Romance

www.angelfire.com/pokemon2/pkmnromance/

Clouds shut out the afternoon sun as rain started to fall from the sky.  Ash took off his jacket and used it to cover Misty and him from the pouring rain.  Brock used his own jacket as cover and the three ran to a old looking wooden mansion.

Brock:  Quick to that mansion, we can take cover over there!

They got to the porch of the mansion and out of the rain's reach.  Pikachu shook himself dry while everyone tried to dry themselves off.

Misty:  Great, I'm totally wet!

Ash blushed and handed Misty his jacket and turned away.

Misty:  Huh?

Ash:  You might wanna wear that.

In further observation of herself, Misty's shirt and turned see through and her bra could clearly be seen.  Misty blushed and quickly put on Ash's jacket.  The three sat down on the steps wondering what to do now that they're stuck there.

Brock:  Looks like this rain will go on till nightfall.

Ash:  Guess we're stuck here.  Shall we go inside?

Misty:  Inside?  Looks haunted.

They all faced forward and looked around the horizon, this was the only place they could go to for shelter.  Behind them there was a creaking sound of a door opening and slow footsteps approaching.  Feeling a slight fright they slowly turned around to see what was behind them.  

Nurse Joy:  Hi!!

The three jumped up in a slight startle but soon eased up when they saw a Nurse Joy smiling at them.  She was dressed differently, she had a nurse hat on but she was in a red dress that revealed a little more skin than your average nurse uniform.

Brock:  Nurse Joy?

Nurse Joy:  Yes that's me.  Oh you're all soaking wet, please come in.

They walked into the mansion to reveal a fancy hotel looking place.  The lobby looked familiar, sort of resembled a pokemon center.  Nurse Joy got behind the counter and opened her guest book.

Nurse Joy:  Will you three be spending the night here?

Brock smiled and nodded to Nurse Joy.

Nurse Joy:  Ah all right, your names?

Ash:  I'm Ash.

Misty:  My name is Misty.

Brock:  I'm Brock but you can call me . . .  yours.

Ash and Misty grabbed Brock by his arms and dragged him away.

Brock:  Noooooo . . . I wanna be with Nurse Joy in the hot dress!

Misty:  Shush you're embarrassing us!

Ash:  Have some manners Brock; we're in a fancy place.

Brock:  Very well!

Brock broke the hold on him and rushed into a telephone booth.  When he reappeared he was wearing a fancy suit with matching rose on his lapel.  Walking with great grace he headed for the grand piano and started to play.

Ash:  Wow, Brock's got class.

Misty:  He would if the piano wasn't an automatic.

The three found out more about where they were staying.  The old mansion is a tourist attraction within that area they were in.  It was a fabulous hotel of celebrities from long ago.  Now it has become a bed and breakfast pokemon center.  Nurse Joy spoke of her great grand father who originally created the mansion with his fortune.  Now she is the owner of this grand family heirloom and continues the work of her family.

Nurse Joy:  So when I get married and have children, they can inherit this and pass it on to their children.

Brock:  Wow, that is quiet a history to this place.  So whom will you marry?

Nurse Joy:  Oh I have no one in mind yet, but I'm sure the right person will appear one day, through those doors and I'd fall in love with him at first sight.

Brock jumped out the window, a few seconds later there was a knock.  Misty walked over to open in and there stood Brock with flowers in his hand and a big smile.  He walked towards Nurse Joy and looked right into her eyes.

Brock:  Hi there, Joy of my life.

Nurse Joy:  Hi Brock.

Brock:  These are for you.

Nurse Joy:  Oh I was looking for these, thank you.

Nurse Joy took the flowers and placed them in the pot, which had mysteriously vanished from earlier.  Ash and Misty grabbed Brock by the arms and dragged him back again.

Misty:  Would you quit embarrassing us?

Ash:  Yeah!

*****

Ash had a change of clothes since he was dripping wet from the rain.  Misty had dressed him up with a collared shirt, some nice dress pants, and a blazer to match.  She wore a dress similar to Nurse Joy but only yellow.

Misty:  There you are, now don't you look handsome.

Ash:  Why do I have to wear this?

Misty:  We're in a fancy place so you must look sharp.  Lets go downstairs and see if we can help out Joy.

Ash:  Why?

Misty:  Cause we're staying here for free.  I've always wanted to stay at a bed and breakfast place like this, it feels so . . .

Ash:  Romantic?

Misty:  Yup.  Maybe a little later Ashie?

Ash:  Yeah . . . a little later.

Walking downstairs they encountered an elderly couple that were headed up.  They must've just checked in.  At the lobby a guy in a black suit and matching red cape had just finish checking in.

Nurse Joy:  Here you go Mr. Frenzy.

Frenzy:  That's the Great Frenzy, magician and illusionist at your service.  Now I will go to my room and work on my act, ta-ta.

Ash and Misty walked over to Nurse Joy who wrote down a few notes on her guest book.

Ash:  Who was that?

Nurse Joy:  The Great Frenzy.  Just an amateur magician traveling around performing to make a name for himself.

Misty:  I wonder if he needs a lovely assistant?

Ash:  Will I see you wear that sexy outfit again?

Misty:  Shush!

Ash:  Haa haa haa, so a lot of people have checked in huh Joy.

Nurse Joy:  Yes; besides you guys, an elderly couple and The Great Frenzy.  Also a reporter will be headed here to do an article of this place so we're pretty much nearly booked.

Misty:  So is there anything we can help you with?

Nurse Joy:  Actually yes.  Before that reporter arrives could you dust around, I haven't had much time to dust.

Misty:  Be glad to.

Ash and Misty grabbed a few dusters and started to dust around lightly.  Brock remained on the piano and pretended to play.  Ash dusted the frames of some paintings but one particular painting got his attention.  The painting didn't hang from the wall it was latched on.

Ash:  This is weird.

Ash inspected it, behind the painting revealed a secret safe.

Ash:  Hey check this out, a safe.

Misty:  Hey don't touch that!

Nurse Joy walked over.  Ash was afraid that Nurse Joy would scold him for snooping around but she calmly explained about the safe.

Nurse Joy:  Every mansion has a secret painting safe.  Whenever guests want to leave something valuable I'd put it in here for safe keeping.

Ash:  I guess that's why they call it a safe, ha ha ha.

Misty stomped on Ash's foot and continued her dusting.

Misty:  Lame!

*****

Brock left the piano to talk to Nurse Joy about some trivial things.  Ash sat down and pretended to play though it played itself.  Misty leaned over to the piano and laid down on it.  They looked like a pianist and his beautiful singer from the olden days but Ash didn't know how to play and Misty couldn't sing.

The doors opened and entered a sporty looking fellow with a few bags and a video camera in hand.

Reporter:  Hi I'm from Mansions Monthly here to do an article on this place.

Nurse Joy:  Oh yes, right his way Mr. Hale.

Brock walked towards Ash and Misty to tease them about their appearance.

Brock:  Now who's being embarrassing?

Misty:  Shaddup this is for looks.

Ash:  And style.

Brock:  Play it again Ash.

A few minutes later Ash, Misty, and Brock resumed helping Nurse Joy with some common tasks and also making the other guests feel very comfortable.  The elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lure relaxed in front of the fireplace enjoying each other's company.  Misty walked over ready to serve her elders.

Misty:  Could I get you anything Mr. and Mrs. Lure?

Mr. Lure:  Do you have any Brandy?  It'd be nice during this type of weather.

Mrs. Lure:  Water will be fine for both of us dear.

Mr. Lure:  Hang on, I was going to order a bottle of Brandy for both of us.

Mrs. Lure:  Ignore him dear; he has a slight drinking problem.  When he starts he usually can't stop.

Misty:  Ice water it is.

Mr. Lure pouted that he couldn't get his wine but Mrs. Lure knew better.  Ash helped carry a few of the heavier luggage around.  A particular one he had to carry on his back up the stairs because it was huge.

Frenzy:  Careful with that, that's my famous disappearing box.

Ash:  Disappearing?  Where does it disappear?

Frenzy:  Funny kid, actually you step inside then you vanish in front of your audiences.

Ash:  Wow, I'd love to see that later.  Any other tricks you know?

Frenzy:  The hand is quicker than the eye.

The Great Frenzy walked to the other side of Ash then smiled at him.  He opened his hands and revealed a small jewelry case.

Ash:  Hey, you have a case just like mine.  In fact, that is mine!

The Great Frenzy examined it closely; there was a small tag on it that had Misty's name.

The Great Frenzy:  What's this?  This a present you going to give to your girlfriend?

Ash:  Um yeah.

The Great Frenzy:  Oh I see.  Well here you go.

The Great Frenzy placed the case back in Ash's pocket the same way he took it out.  Ash was amazed and wanted to learn a few tricks from this magician.

Brock helped John the reporter with his equipment.  John carried with him all types of cameras and accessories including a video camera.

Brock:  That's quiet the camera collection you have there.  I know of a friend that's really big into cameras too.  Many may know him as the pokemon paparazzi named Todd.

John:  Oh him, yah he photographs for all types of magazines.  He mostly only takes pokemon photos though.  I do lifestyle type photos and report what I see.  All this you see here are all tools to make the perfect article for a monthly magazine.

Brock:  Impressive.

John:  Hopefully in the near future I can strike it rich.  All this equipment has to be good at something.

Brock:  I bet.

John:  All I need is a big story, huge one that will make me famous and from there I can live the good life of a real reporter.  No more reviewing for me, I'd love to handle the scoops.

Brock:  Kinda like Todd?

John:  Yeah . . .

*****

Nurse Joy walked over to the painting safe to place some valuables inside.  Ash was spot-checking the area when he noticed Nurse Joy carrying a few things to be placed in the safe.

Nurse Joy:  Good timing Ash, could you give me a hand, it's hard to put this in the safe with only one hand.

Ash:  Sure, what ya got there?

Ash grabbed the box and carried it till Nurse Joy finished placing everyone's valuable belongings into the safe.

Nurse Joy:  Mr. and Mrs. Lure's things, mostly Mrs. Lure's jewelry.  The Great Frenzy's diamonds he uses for his props and such, lastly John's classified information and such.

Ash:  Oh could I put in something for safekeeping?

Nurse Joy:  Sure what is it?

Ash:  Well um it's a present.  I'm going to give it to Misty; it's just a ring.

Nurse Joy:  Ooohhhhh.  I gotcha.  Is there anything else?

Ash:  Nope.

Nurse Joy:  All right I'm closing it up.

Nurse Joy closed the safe and turned the knob a few times, and then the painting to cover the hidden safe.

Nurse Joy:  You know Ash; you should give your present out in the gazebo once it stops raining.  It creates a perfect environment.  After a summers rain you hold your girlfriends hand to take a walk on the fields of the mansion and rest at a gazebo to gaze at the beautiful land.  Then you hold your lovers hands and look into her eyes, you bend down on one knee and then . . .

Ash:  Um I'm not going to propose to her, we're still kinda young for that.  It's just a present.

Nurse Joy:  Oh I'm sorry, I sorta get carried away with these romances.

John:  That was a wonderful description for a romantic point of view for this mansion Nurse Joy.

Ash and Nurse Joy jumped back in a startle.  There was John eating a sandwich while holding his video camera with the other.

Ash:  Um how long have you been there?

John:  Long enough my lovesick friend.  Don't worry, I won't tell but if you do propose here it'll make an interesting article for Mansions Monthly.

Ash:  Um no thanks.

John:  Just lemme know if you change your mind.

John walked away to continue filming around.  Nurse Joy let out a sigh and sat down at a nearby chair.

Nurse Joy:  I do hope he doesn't find out about Mr. and Mrs. Lure.  It would bring a bad review of this place.

Ash:  Huh?  Why, what's wrong with Mr. and Mrs. Lure?

Nurse Joy:  They often stay, I'd say once every three months for vacation.  But during my father's days they use to hideout here often.

Ash:  Hideout?

Nurse Joy:  Yeah.  Back then they use to be a notorious gangster couple much like the fabled Bonnie and Clyde.  When they were being hunted they'd drive all the way here to hideout.  Since they were such good customers my father allowed them to stay, he didn't find out till they were captured.  I allow them to stay cause they are old and well they served their time.

Ash:  I see, wow, this place is cool.  We have a magician and a couple of old school gangsters.

Nurse Joy:  Shhhhh, not so loud, John might here.

Ash:  Okay.  Well I better go see what everyone else was doing.

Ash headed to the lounge area to see Misty watching TV.  He hadn't noticed the TV being there before; in fact it hanged from the ceiling.

Ash:  Hey, where'd that TV come from?

Misty:  Oh I pressed this button on the counter and the TV appeared from the ceiling.  I guess this Mansion has a few high tech gizmos built into it.  Hey look our favorite anime is on!

Ash:  Ooohh oohhh scoot over I wanna watch!

*****

After about an hour of watching TV Ash got hungry and headed into the kitchen to get something to eat.  When he entered he noticed Mr. Lure facing a corner concealing something.

Ash:  Mr. Lure?

Mr. Lure jumped up in a startled and hid whatever was in his hand in his coat pocket.

Mr. Lure:  Uh yes young man?  Is there anything wrong?

Ash:  Um no not really, just going to get something to eat.

Mr. Lure:  Oh okay carry on.

Ash:  Um Mr. Lure, could you um please excuse me your in front of the fridge.

Mr. Lure:  Oh I'm sorry.

Mr. Lure left quickly; he walked strangely like he was imbalance.  His breath also stank a bit, wonder what he's been eating.  Ash wondered why he was acting very nervous and what was he hiding.  Old people can be a bit secretive at times so he dismissed the thought and went to make a sandwich for her and Misty.

Two sandwiches were made and placed on the kitchen counter.  Ash dug around the pantry to find some orange drink and when he found two cans he noticed both the sandwiches missing.

Ash:  Huh?  What the?

Looking around to see if it fell or something Ash couldn't find the missing sandwiches.  He gave up looking and went to make another two.  Once the sandwiches were made and drinks ready to serve, he headed back into the lounge.  There he saw The Great Frenzy chatting with Misty while eating the once missing sandwiches.

Misty:  Heya Ash, got the food?

Ash:  Hey!  Frenzy . . .

Frenzy:  It's the Great Frenzy.

Ash:  You stole my sandwiches!

Frenzy:  Thought they were free.  Oh well sorry about that.  Guess the hand is really quicker than the eye.  Haa haa haa.  Those drinks for me too?

Ash:  No!

Misty laughed; Ash was always so silly at times especially when it came to food.  The three watched more TV till Nurse Joy screamed from the lobby area.

Everyone rushed towards the lobby where Nurse Joy turned pale from fright.  She sat down at a nearby chair and stared at the hidden safe, which was opened, and its contents missing.

Ash:  What's wrong?

Nurse Joy:  When I opened the safe to get some of John's documents from his folder it was empty!  Someone opened the safe and stole everything!

Brock tried to comfort Nurse Joy and also get some points up for himself while Ash inspected the safe closer.  It was empty, nothing inside, that would mean his present to Misty was gone too.

Ash:  Aahhhhhhh my my my my my my . . . is gone!

Misty:  What what?

Ash:  It took me forever to save up to buy that that that that that . . .

Misty:  What what?

Ash:  Oh um nevermind.  Grrrrr there's a thief among us!

Mrs. Lure:  My jewelry is all gone!

Frenzy:  So as my diamond props!  Those cost me a lot to buy.

Everyone looked at each other; everyone was present except Mr. Lure.

Ash:  Wait a minute, where's Mr. Lure?

Mrs. Lure:  Oh I've been trying to find him for the pass half hour but he has disappeared.  You don't suspect him do you?

Ash remembered about what Nurse Joy mentioned earlier about the Mr. and Mrs. Lure.  They use to be olden day gangsters and maybe Mr. Lure hasn't given up on a life of crime yet.

Ash:  I wonder where he could be?

Brock:  Let's split up and find him.  Me and Nurse Joy will look in the bedroom.

Misty clubbed Brock over the head.

Misty:  This is no time to be doing that you perv!  Now lets all go and try to find where Mr. Lure went.

Starting upstairs everyone checked each individual room but didn't find Mr. Lure.  They all met up in the hallway right outside The Great Frenzy's room.

Ash:  No sign of him anywhere.

Mrs. Lure:  This has me worried.  Where could he have gone?

John the reporter walked over and inside The Great Frenzy's room.  He looked around to see if Mr. Lure was around.

Brock:  I already checked in there, he's not in there.

John:  I wouldn't be too sure about that.  These crafty magicians can make people disappear or so seem.

Frenzy:  And what does that mean?

John:  We all know there's some type of trick to these magic tricks, like a hidden room or some place.  Kinda like that big magic box you have there.  Big enough to hide someone.

John walked over to the box and opened it, nothing inside.  He closed it again and touched a latch on the side then opened it again, then out stumbled Mr. Lure who was unconscious.

John:  See!

Mrs. Lure:  Oh dear, are you alright?

Mr. Lure slowly gaining consciousness.  He felt dizzy and his head hurt.

Mr. Lure:  What's going on?  I don't remember a thing.

Ash:  Or so you say!  Did you steal everything that was in the safe!

Mr. Lure:  Safe?  What safe?  Bank safe?

Ash:  No the safe of this mansion!

Mr. Lure:  Huh what, I haven't touched a safe in ages and I . . . huh, oh sorry I'm feeling a bit dizzy, give me a moment to rest.

Misty:  Ash I think we should let him recover before we interrogate him.

Ash did ease up, the poor old man did seem a bit dizzy and he was beat red, an odd color to be when someone is unconscious.  

Nurse Joy:  What a mess, I'm sorry to say this but could everyone place go back to your rooms for now.  I'm going to call Officer Jenny this minute and I'd really appreciate it if everyone just stayed in their rooms till she gets here.

Everyone concurred and went to their rooms.  Ash, Brock, and Misty stayed in one room so they could talk over about the recent happenings.  Ash wanted to find out who stole everything from the safe, he wanted his ring back.

Ash:  Mr. Lure is the prime suspect.

Misty:  What makes you say that?  Just because he was missing doesn't mean he stole it.

Ash:  Nurse Joy told me that the Lures use to be notorious gangsters during her father's day.  So they use to be criminals and that is why I suspect Mr. Lure.  Not to mention before I made those sandwiches I saw him acting very suspicious in the kitchen like he was hiding something.  It could be him!

Misty:  Yeah, if that's all true then I guess Mr. Lure is the prime suspect.  For me I thought it was that magician because of his quick hands and tricks.  Before you came back to serve up the snack he was showing me some of his hand tricks and bragging about his escape act.

Brock:  Escape act?  Like the type you get tied up and put in a tub of water and have only seconds to escape?

Misty:  Yeah.  He said he had to escape from a giant vault within minutes or he'd run out of air.  So if he could do that, he probably could open the mansion safe with ease.

Ash:  Your right, plus how would Mr. Lure be able to open the safe in the first place.  Okay I guess those two are pretty much on the same level of suspects.

Brock:  Too bad we can't ask John for his opinion.

Ash:  Now there's another guy that could have done it.

Misty:  What makes you think that?

Ash:  I dunno, Brock didn't you help him out when he first came?

Brock:  Yeah, he told me all about his equipment, state of the art cameras and gizmos and such.  He also said he's hoping to write an article about something big so he can get famous and be as popular as Todd.

Misty:  Wait a minute.  Did you say he's hoping to get like a big scoop so he can get over from being just a reviewer?

Brock:  Something like that.

Misty:  Then John does have a motive.  He could have stolen the contents of the safe to create a big story so he can write about it.  So this makes John suspect number three.

Ash:  Well let's analyze.  First is Mr. Lure who has already been in crime and is hiding something.

Misty:  There's the magician, The Great Frenzy who probably knows a way to break open the safe.

Brock:  Then there's John he would create a scene just to get a story out of it.

Ash:  But who is the thief?

There was a thump from the next room.  Ash, Misty, and Brock rushed out and entered the next room.  There they saw John holding his forehead in pain.

Ash:  What happened to you?

John:  Someone snuck behind me and clubbed me.  I think it was the thief!

Ash:  This mystery is getting dangerous.  Mr. Lure is found unconscious inside a box now John gets clubbed, what next?

To be continued. . .

Author's Note:  Submit your reviews on which you think is the thief?  The answer will be revealed in the next chapter.  Analyze closely to where everyone was, who was where at what time, and also why?  Think of what details were given and make your conclusion.  Can you solve this mystery?


	2. The Answer

Pokemon Mysteries:

The case of the cracked safe

www.angelfire.com/pokemon2/pkmnromance/

Nurse Joy helped John by placing an ice pack over his forehead.  Officer Jenny had arrived to inspect the scene.  Everyone gathered together at the lounge ready to be interrogated by Officer Jenny.

Officer Jenny:  Obviously one of you is the thief.  I suspect that one right there!

Officer Jenny pointed to Brock.

Brock:  Does this mean you'll cuff me and take me with you?  In that case I plead gulmpphhhh . . .

Ash and Misty covered Brock's mouth and slammed him down on the couch with a few pillows.

Ash:  Don't mind him he tends to act crazy whenever he sees an Officer Jenny, a Nurse Joy, or any other type of girl.

Officer Jenny:  Oh is that Brock?

Misty:  Yes, how'd you know?

Officer Jenny:  My sisters warned me about him.  I'll take him into consideration as prime suspect for bad behavior and harassing my sisters.

Brock:  Oh please do!

Ash and Misty grabbed their pillows and slammed Brock down further down into the couch.  Officer Jenny paced back and forth to the room trying to get the facts straight.  When Nurse Joy went to open the safe to gather some things for the report named John, she found the safe to be empty.  The contents were some valuable jewelry, expensive props, a small case, and secret documents.  On inspection the safe didn't look like it was forced open.

Officer Jenny:  I need to know everyone's story to add up the facts and draw a conclusion.  First starting with Ash, where were you when you first heard Nurse Joy scream?

Ash:  Well, I was in the lounge area here with Misty watching Anime together.  I headed into the kitchen to make a snack for both Misty and I, which is when I saw Mr. Lure acting very suspicious at the corner near the refrigerator.  He tried to conceal something in his coat pocket and quickly left acting very wobbly and nervous.  After I made two sandwiches The Great Frenzy must've snuck in and saw the food.  Thinking they were complimentary sandwiches he took them for himself.  I then had to make some new sandwiches and when I was done, I returned to the lounge to serve the snack to Misty.  Then not long after I heard Nurse Joy scream and the three of us rushed in.

Officer Jenny:  Misty it's your turn.

Misty:  Before I heard Nurse Joy scream I helped out with some minor chores that needed to be done around the mansion such as dusting and fixing things up.  I then discovered this button the counter that was marked TV.  I pushed it and a TV appeared from the ceiling.  I watched a few minutes to take a break and that is when Ash came in.  Ash walked in and both of us watched some TV together till we got hungry.  Ash went into the kitchen to prepare a snack, while he prepared it the magician known as The Great Frenzy appeared eating some sandwiches.  He tried to show off in front of me by doing some parlor tricks while he bragged about his acts.  One great act that I clearly remember is where he would lock himself in a vault and then escape from it before air ran out.  Then Ash appeared with our snacks then not long after I heard the scream and all three of us rushed in.

Officer Jenny:  I see.  Now for you Brock.

Brock:  It was a wonderful day out in the field where Nurse Joy and me spent our afternoon together having a picnic.

Brock felt the pummeling of pillows on his head

Brock:  Okay, okay, can't take a joke can we.  I helped out Nurse Joy with some chores that afternoon.  Mostly we had to go down to the wine cellar to restock on some wine in the kitchen.  After doing so Mr. Lure appeared in the kitchen asking if we had smaller bottles of wine.  Nurse Joy then directed him to the refrigerator where a few bottles were ready to serve.  We then left to rearrange the guest books when John asked for some documents that were in the safe.  When Nurse Joy opened the safe she screamed and nearly fainted.  I helped comfort her by holding onto her and fanning her with some nearby paper.  And that's basically it.

Nurse Joy:  Yes he has been with me all afternoon, in fact he's been on me like glue.

Misty:  Probably as sticky too.

Officer Jenny:  Yeah.  Hmm now how about you Nurse Joy tell me all about your point of view.

As Nurse Joy told her story Ash looked down on the floor thinking about who could have stolen the case and everything else.  Something inside of him knew that he had all the clues to form the answer, now to calculate it.  He just heard his friends tell their view, which would probably be enough since their word is very trustworthy; he wasn't sure of the others.  If one of them is the thief then they would definitely lie, but which one?

Ash thought about everyone, their motives, where they were at the time, why they were there, and who could and would have stolen the goods.  Then like a light bulb the answer flash in his mind.

Nurse Joy . . . and when I got to the safe it was empty . . .

Ash:  Wait hold it!

Everyone looked at Ash.

Ash:  I know who stole the goods.  It was . . . JOHN!!

John:  What!?

Ash:  Arrest him!

Officer Jenny quickly rushed in and tackled John down then handcuffed him.

John:  Wait a minute I'm a victim here!  How do we know you're not the thief?

Ash:  I figured it all out so you might as well just tell us where you hid everything.

John:  Oh yah, prove it!

Ash:  Simple logic.  Earlier this afternoon I helped Nurse Joy put a few things away inside the safe.  Later you revealed yourself just a few feet away from us, in fact close enough to hear our conversation and also close enough to observe the combination.  I'm not sure how long you were there but I bet long enough to see Nurse Joy first open the safe.

John:  Hang on you can't prove that I knew the combination by just peeking a few feet away, it'd be too hard to see!

Ash:  Not for your fancy video camera.  Especially when you can zoom in and record and then review what you recorded many times till you know the combination yourself.  I know how cameras work too; I have a friend named Todd that showed me.

John:  So, that is still a big IF!

Ash:  True, that alone can't prove that you stolen the goods but you also knew where Mr. Lure was.  My best guess is that you found Mr. Lure passed out somewhere, took him to The Great Frenzy's room, stashed him into the box and made him disappear.

John:  But it's nothing more than just a guess.

Ash:  Yeah but I have a good guess at something about Mr. Lure.  Mr. Lure could you empty out your coat pockets please.

Mr. Lure reluctantly emptied out his coat pocket to reveal a small bottle of Brandy.  Ash opened it and it was empty.

Ash:  Just as I thought.  After Brock just mentioned that Mr. Lure was asking for some wine and Misty mentioning to us upstairs that Mrs. Lure forbid Mr. Lure from having a drink, that would mean when I snuck up on Mr. Lure earlier that afternoon in the kitchen, he must've then taken that small bottle of Brandy.  He didn't want any of us telling Mrs. Lure about him drinking so that is why he was so secretive.

Mrs. Lure:  Yes that's right.  He can't handle his liquor to well he gets drunk real easily.

Ash:  And after finishing that bottle I bet you passed out huh Mr. Lure.

Mr. Lure:  Yeah, after I saw some happy thoughts I sorta fell asleep somewhere.

Ash:  Right and that is when John probably found you.  John picked you up and hid you inside the magic box to create confusion when the whole thief bit went up.  This way attention would be directed at The Great Frenzy and Mr. Lure.  Mr. Lure was just drunk when we found him in the box.

John:  So your point is?

Ash:  Mr. Lure isn't the thief because he was too drunk to probably crack that safe and also he has no means of doing so.  That leaves you and The Great Frenzy.  Its true that The Great Frenzy can open safes but there are two facts to why he couldn't have done it.  First of he didn't know where the safe was.  He was never around when the safe was open for eyes to see, it was always concealed behind the painting.  Also where he was, he was in the lounge room with Misty when probably the whole stealing occurred.  He was stealing something else, my snack!

Frenzy:  Yup, that's true.

Ash:  So that leaves you John.

John:  Hang on; don't you remember that I was attacked?

Ash:  Did you say you were attacked from behind?

John:  Yeah?

Ash:  Just to make it clear to everyone, did you say you were attacked from behind?

John:  Yeah!

Ash:  Then you are the thief, plain and simple.  If you were attacked from behind, why are you holding your forehead and not the back of your head?

John:  Um . .. I was attacked from behind then fell forward on my head which had um also bumped into something else.

Ash:  That's pretty hard to swallow.  Also you have a motive to do this.

John:  And that is?

Ash:  You wanted to create a great confusion here so you can write an article about this mystery mansion.  This was all part of your plan to get out of your reviewing career and into the real world of a reporter.  So am I right John?

John . . . your pretty sharp kid.

John told where he hid everyone's things.  They were kept within his own things within a mini chest within his own luggage.  Everyone got their things back and Ash managed to get his case present back before Misty was able to see it.

Officer Jenny took John the reporter away and everyone was happy to get their things back.  Nurse Joy was happy that everything worked out at the end, it was all pretty much clockwork.  She wrote a few notes on her desk about the recent events then filed it away.  Leaning back on her chair she looked outside, there she saw the young couple Ash and Misty walking around the lighted areas.

Nurse Joy:  It's this sorta thing that keeps the mansion in business.  Ah there they go, such a cute couple, but really Ash you should give her your present during day, not night.  Then again . . .

*****

Ash held hands with Misty as they walked the lighted path to the gazebo.  Misty felt proud of Ash solving the mystery, she knew that he actually had a brain and he is smart if he only used it more.

Misty:  So where are we going Ash?

Ash:  Nurse Joy told me there's a nice gazebo around here, look there it is.

They headed in and sat.  Looking around them they saw nothing but the night's darkness on the field but the sky was a different story.  The stars shinned nicely and all the clouds were gone.  The moon was flying high above the heavens, shinning bright upon the two.

Ash:  Hey Misty.  About today's mystery.  I really wanted to solve it because there was something that was in the safe for you.

Misty:  For me?

Ash:  Yeah, here, right here.

Ash took out the case and opened it.  Inside was a simple golden ring that he had bought after saving a lot of his earnings.  There was an engraving on the ring that read, "To Misty, my best friend and my girlfriend.  Ash."

Misty:  Oh my gosh, that is so sweet of you.  I could kiss you.

Ash closed his eyes expecting one.  Misty giggled; she kissed him on the lips, thanking him for his present.  After they sat at the gazebo and talked for awhile, till Brock called them back telling them it was way passed their bedtime, but they talked on just enjoying each others company.

*****

Ash, Misty, and Brock returned to their normal clothes ready to depart on their journey.  Nurse Joy said farewell to them from the porch waving good-bye to the mystery solvers of the case of the cracked safe.

Epilogue:

Brock:  I think we had a nice stay there.

Misty:  Yup.

Brock:  We should go back one day.  But Nurse Joy told me that we might wanna plan for some reservation cause it might be booked.

Ash:  Really?  Well guess we'll just have to do that then.

Brock:  Yeah, since she said mysteries in a mansion will attract a lot of guest now.

Ash and Misty stopped in their tracks, they had just realized something.

*****

Nurse Joy waited at the front desk when Officer Jenny walked in.

Officer Jenny:  It all worked accordingly to plan Nurse Joy.

Nurse Joy:  Here's your pay.

Officer Jenny:  That was an interesting way to attract more guests, so how did you come up with the plan anyway?

John walked in to the scene from the room behind the front desk.

John:  Well, after I arrived Nurse Joy and me had a slight chat about making a slight gimmick for the mansion.  I'm tired of writing all about these boring mansions that no one ever reads about.  I'll never get the top quality scoop if I keep doing boring articles and I'll never get that promotion to real reporter, and I think this mystery mansion idea will get me there.

Nurse Joy:  I'm glad.

Officer Jenny:  Was it hard to fool everyone?

Nurse Joy:  Not really.  If John did everything himself it would have been hard but I really planned out everything.  You didn't think that whole restocking the wines was just a coincidence now did you?  That was planned.  I've known the Lures for sometime now and Mr. Lure has a real taste for wine, it was the perfect bait.  And John recording the combination, it would be impossible for John to stay there the whole time and not be noticed.  Also when Mr. Lure had passed out, I had to make sure no one saw John carry him to Frenzy's room.  This whole thing was planned out and coordinated perfectly.  So much fun too, I'd love to do that again.

John:  You will.

Officer Jenny:  Guess I can make some money hauling someone away in this "play" of yours.  So when is the next time?

Nurse Joy:  When some new guests arrive.  John, stay for a while, maybe you'll have more things to report in yet.

John:  Yup.  That'll do.  Love.

Authors Note:

Everyone pretty much got it right that it was John but only 1 person that has read the fic answer correctly to the real plot and story.

Here are the hidden miss looked facts:

Nurse Joy said to John (or Mr. Hale as he was called in the beginning) to go with her.  Normally guests would be given their keys and to go to their room but John had a talk with Nurse Joy.

When Ash, Misty, and Brock first arrived the hotel was empty, first sign of slow business.

Instead of scolding Ash when he discovered the safe she explained all about it, Nurse Joy at this time was already contemplating a plan for this mystery.

Nurse Joy also overly reacted to the safe's contents being stolen, she might be good with making these plans but she's a terrible actor.

Also during the epilogue Nurse Joy cleared up some simple facts such as placing Mr. Lure into the magic box.  Here's a fact, most hotel rooms are normally locked when guests are currently occupying that room.  The Great Frenzy would most likely have locked his room if he were not in.  So the only other person that could have opened the door would be, Nurse Joy.

Well these are some facts that prove the ending to be what it is, I'm sure there are other facts out there and if you know what they are, put them down in the review and also if you like these type of fics, I'll be glad to write more.  Just be prepared, sometimes I will provide a twist, other times I won't.

~MCX


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